Since 2000, the Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund (MYLSF) has awarded more than $350,000 in scholarships and educational awards to outstanding youth who have exhibited at the premier livestock events in the state of Michigan.

To be eligible for the MYLSF general or statewide scholarship, applicants must be a Michigan resident and a graduating high school senior or a high school graduate continuing their education at an accredited institution in the year for which they are applying.

For the general MYLSF scholarship, applicants must be a youth exhibitor at the Michigan Livestock Expo, Michigan Dairy Expo or the former Michigan State Fair for a minimum of three calendar years prior to the year of application. For the statewide scholarship, applicants must be a youth exhibitor at a local, county or statewide exhibition for a minimum of three years prior to the year of application.

Charitable donations and specific proceeds from the Michigan State Fair Youth Livestock Auction and Michigan Livestock Expo help fund the scholarships. The fund is governed by a 10-member board of volunteers from Michigan’s agricultural community.

The Battle Creek Community Foundation holds the fund’s corpus. In 2013, approximately $17,000 will be deposited in the Michigan Education Saving Plans for youth exhibitors who compete in judging and showmanship events at the Michigan Livestock Expo, July 12-14 at Michigan State University.

Applications and qualification requirements for the MYLSF and the statewide scholarship can be obtained at www.michigan.gov/mda-mylsf. Applications must be postmarked no later than May 31, 2013. For more information, contact Jeff Haarer, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Producer Security Section Manager, at 517-241-2865, or Ernie Birchmeier, Michigan Farm Bureau’s Livestock and Dairy Specialist, at 517-323-7000.